Video #1 - Palm leaf manuscripts, Babaya Kuang, Amarapura
Video #2 - Silk weaving workshop, Amarapura
Video #3 - Silk weaving workshop, Amarapura
Video #4 - Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, Sagaing Hills
Video #4 - Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, Sagaing Hills
Video #5 - Crossing the colonial era Inwa Bridge, Sagaing to Inwa
Video #6 - Ferry crossing at Inwa
Video #7 - Horse cart through Inwa
Palm leaf manuscripts, Babaya Kuang, Amarapura
Silk weaving workshop, Amarapura
Silk weaving workshop, Amarapura
Interior view, U Min Thonze, Sagaing Hills
In the Sagaing Hills
Overlooking pagoda strewn hills, Ayeyarwady River,
Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, Sagaing
Cat in Inwa
Big man in a little cart, Inwa
The ruined monastery of Maha Muangye Bonzon, Inwa
Shadow play at Babaya Kuang Monastery, Inwa
Teaching corner for village children at Babaya Kuang Monastery, Inwa
Schoolwork, Babaya Kuang Monastery, Inwa
Abandoned farm manor, Inwa
Abandoned farm manor, Inwa
Late afternoon light, Inwa
Earthquake damaged palace tower, Inwa
This follows the post on the U Bein Bridge. The tour is spread over two posts, this being the second.
In other words, it took two posts to cover this full day of touring.
In other words, it took two posts to cover this full day of touring.
FOLLOWING BREAKFAST the tour returned to Amarapura At first glance, Bagaya Kyaung Monastery, built in 1996, was quite forgettable looking. I wondered why we were even here. Then the driver asked me to follow him down some steps, which led to a door to the basement, which was unlocked for us. What i did not know was that the Bagaya Kyaung was a museum too, notable for some 5,000 pe-sa or palm-leaf manuscripts. The collection was in Pali, a language from the Indian subcontinent, also identified with Theravada Buddhism here in Myanmar. Then driver kindly aimed the beam from a bulky flashlight, so i could use my camera and iPad video feature too. Some over of the manuscripts were over 400 years old.
We continued to the Pahtodawgyi Pagoda which i had seen earlier, but from far, far away and across Taungthaman Lake. In the morning sun the 56 metres (185 ft) white dome was almost blindingly bright. Here on the grounds, we had the pagoda almost to ourselves. Construction on it was completed in 1824 and under the rule of King Bagyidaw. Amarapura would be the royal capital for most of the period from 1783 to 1857. Quarrelling between royal brothers and Buddhist prophecies resulted however in the palace buildings being dismantled, moved and reassembled in Mandalay. Much of the wood, left over from the move, went into the construction of the U Bein bridge.
Droves of tourists appeared next when we arrived at a silk weaving workshop. Some of the output were longyi, a sarong like Burmese garment, worn by both men and women. In this case the highly decorative textiles were for women (men wore darker solid colours or neutral looking plaids). I noticed young teenage girls working on the looms. Amazingly, the visitors were free to wander in the din among the noisy machines. Across the narrow road was Shwe Sin Tai Silk Wares. In the store i picked up some gifts. Some of the silk scarfs were bold colour combinations and striking patterns were gorgeously beautiful.
Droves of tourists appeared next when we arrived at a silk weaving workshop. Some of the output were longyi, a sarong like Burmese garment, worn by both men and women. In this case the highly decorative textiles were for women (men wore darker solid colours or neutral looking plaids). I noticed young teenage girls working on the looms. Amazingly, the visitors were free to wander in the din among the noisy machines. Across the narrow road was Shwe Sin Tai Silk Wares. In the store i picked up some gifts. Some of the silk scarfs were bold colour combinations and striking patterns were gorgeously beautiful.
Late in the morning we drove across the modern Yadanabon Bridge, designed by a Chinese engineers, that crossed the Ayeyarwady. Ahead where the stupa dotted chain of hills, between the river and flat plains. The U Min Thonze included a gallery of Buddha statues and fanciful tile work, layed out in a long shallow curve. On another hill we stopped at Soon U Ponya Shin Pagoda, which included a large Buddha, rabbit collection boxes made of bronze, acres of bright tile work and an impressive vista over the Ayeyarwady River.
We recrossed the Ayeyarwady River in the early afternoon, this time on the Inwa Bridge, built by the British in 1934. During the war two spans had been blown up to slow down the Japanese advance. Inwa was another old capital that lay beyond a tributary. The driver waited for me while i had lunch and boarded a little ferry. On the far shore, the sightseeing continued by horse cart. Maha Aungmye Bonzan, now a brick and stucco ruin, was next. There was little left of this royal monastery, dating back to 1822. Here were just a few remains from the Ava era, a significant period in Burmese history. This was followed by a wooden monastery, surrounded by trees and rice paddies. Built in 1834 the teak building was graceful, dark and hauntingly beautiful. It even contained a tiny classroom area. Finally the horse cart driver showed me Nanmyin. Near the road was a 27 metres (90 ft) tower listing dramatically to one side and damaged in an 1838 earthquake. That was all that remained of the 19th Century palace. The circle tour of Inwa, by horse cart ended back at the riverbank, where i caught a ferry and rejoined the driver.
Amarapura - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sagaing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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